Scar on vacation
by ArizonaSivy
Summary: And what if, hypothetically, he suddenly decided that he had enough of it all?
1. Heat

**AN: Hi there! I hope you're all enjoying the summer. In my home country we are suffering from temperatures close to 35ºC, and since soon I'll be moving to Italy where there's even hotter, I wanted to leave something here for you to read.**

**Due to the heat, I've been having the situation in the Pridelands during the drought on my mind. During Scar's reign, that is- obviously, I wouldn't be myself if I didn't write about him, and now I'm even writing from his perspective XD. In such severe heat people start acting strange, so what if the irritated Scar got a bit tired, for example?**

**Yeah, this is the idea this time. I hope you enjoy it. This isn't going to be a very long story, tho. I don't want to tire anyone during such scorching heat…**

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Part I – Heat

The afternoon was particularly hot and unbearable. Somehow, from the very moment the sun rose above my kingdom, I knew that it was going to be a bad day. And when _she _came to Pride Rock after the hunt, I was positive of that.

By saying _she_ I mean Sarabi, the leader of the huntresses and the former queen. _Former_, because she chose not to accept me as her king, alas, after the tragic death of my brother of cursed memory… Anyway, that afternoon Sarabi came to me looking peculiarly down, and since the first thing that caught my attention was that she came _with empty paws_, I felt even worse. I knew that food in the land was scarce due to the drought, but failing to bring me even as much as a meager mongoose was really a failure. She understood that- I could tell by the apologizing tone of her voice with which she attempted to ease my nerves so that I wouldn't make a scapegoat out of her again. She did that for show, she didn't care if I was angry or not, as long as I would leave her and the rest of the pride alone.

Yes, I felt enraged inwardly, but still… I didn't want to yell at her _this time_. She'd lost a lot of weight trying to pursue the escaping herds in order to get food, and I could clearly see how her failure caused her to feel miserable. And now, I was experiencing hunger myself… Sarabi explained that she and the other lionesses are just going to have to try harder the next time, but I decided I rather not just dismiss her after she said she's sorry. I wanted to get to the bottom of the problem. It was interesting to see how, for the first time in history, lions were failing to get food for themselves in their own land. Well, we've had droughts earlier, that's true, but even the likes of my father or my brother were able to somehow prevent the pride from famine. But it was different this time. I was almost starting to think that I somehow became _cursed_ because of the way I obtained the crown…

But that was nonsense. To know the real reasons, I needed to ask Sarabi. That female had always cared for her pride, even to the point of foolish sacrifice on her own behalf. And, to my surprise, when I showed to be concerned myself, she actually seemed to like that in me. It was… interesting.

_Oh, but you know the answer already_ - she said in a rather provocative manner. Yes, true… She was clever enough to know that, and clever enough to know that _I _knew. It were the hyenas- my stinking army of retarded air-heads, unfortunately. They were the cause of the major deterioration of wildlife in the Pridelands. It wasn't so bad before the drought, but now their hunger lead to something of a crisis. I had told Shenzi to be careful with that, but all she ever did was complain that food was short even if her pack barely ate enough to stay alive…

I suppose Sarabi sensed that I was slowly starting to question the necessity of the hyenas' presence in my kingdom. She even said- _Not exactly a glorious future, isn't it?_ as a joke. Not to mock me, lucky for her, but still I became angry and asked if she was criticizing me. Maybe I was even a bit too harsh… She denied immediately, explaining that who she was criticizing were indeed the hyenas. And then I believe she said a bit more than she initially intended, because to my great surprise I heard her announcing that Shenzi was not as faithful to me as I thought…

I was all ears at once. Sarabi could see that I wouldn't let her leave the cave without explaining that to me. She wasn't the type to tell on others, but since the cat was already out of the bag, she found herself in a tight spot, forced to speak up by her own carelessness. With a most adorable sense of shame she convinced to have lied to me about that day's hunt. The fact was that the lionesses have actually managed to kill some single zebra that probably went astray during it's search for food… She said she wanted to bring the meat to me, as I had ordered her to do, but then, suddenly, a whole bunch of hyenas appeared from nowhere, snatching the prey right from their paws and devouring it before she was even able to say a word. And Shenzi was with them, too…

So then I became _really_ angry. And Sarabi seemed to have enjoyed it, somehow. Probably because she was still furious with the hyenas herself. Can't blame her for that- those stupid gluttons stole the lionesses' food countless times, I can't remember how often she'd come to me to babble that I should do something about it… But now they had the audacity to steal _my_ food, and _that _was far too great an offence! Great enough to make me question the deal I made with those traitorous creatures years ago. Sarabi saw it… She took the risk for the good of her pride. She wanted to see what would my reaction be. And, actually, for the first time since who knows when, I kind of agreed with her.

Thanking her for being sincere, I dismissed her and decided to look into the matter myself. First of all, I called for Shenzi. Not revealing all that I knew, I asked her a few questions… Of course, the old hag denied everything. It was predictable, but I would never let myself get fooled by someone like _her_. So I sent Shenzi away and then observed- who do you think was the first person she went to? Sarabi, obviously- to tell her to keep her mouth shut next time, threatening her with whatever she could think of, still not scaring the lioness in the least. The atmosphere became tight, but the next day the huntresses just went out to do their job as usual. Only this time, I decided to follow them and see what would happen. Everything was going pretty bad- the pastures were dry and dead so the females had to walk a long distance, searching for anything to catch. They had to go as far as to the border of the kingdom to find a place where there was still some green grass left. There they finally found and ambushed a small herd of gazelles, and, fortunately, managed to obtain a kill. Sarabi, being very obedient, what I liked very much, permitted the rest of the pride to feed, but reminded them to leave some meat so she could bring it to me. And so the females did. But as soon as they laid themselves to rest…

I should have smelled those filthy thieves from a mile away! Truly, just as Sarabi had described, a pack of hyenas appeared out of nowhere. They were about to swallow the leftover meat, but before they were able to do that… _I _showed myself to them. That dim-witted Shenzi and her two sidekicks didn't know what to say… A shame they just ran away when I roared at them, not able to give me a proper explanation. The lionesses were laughing their heads off! So after I had lunch I decided to leave them alone, this time.

I called Sarabi to come meet me at Pride Rock at once. I thought like speaking my mind at last, and she was the perfect person to talk to. I said that I've had enough of being surrounded by those idiots, the hyenas. I could bear their underinteligent behavior as long as they didn't get in my way, but after what I've experienced in the hunting grounds I was almost about to get rid of them for good. I would not let myself be treated like a fool. I knew that Sarabi agreed with me- she'd have agreed if I told her that long ago. She knew she had a great opportunity, and she was eager to use it. She suggested that I should send the hyenas away… Trying to test her, I said that I've made a deal with them, to what she said she knew why I did that… _Hmhm_, poor thing… She didn't know half of it, really. I had told the lionesses that I let those beasts live at Pride Rock to maintain peace and provide mutual protection. It was utter nonsense because lions didn't need no protection from hyenas whatsoever, but still the females somehow swallowed it up. However, my deal was far more serious than that…

Then Sarabi used a clever method to convince me. She asked if it would be more dangerous to keep the hyenas here, or to banish them. I considered both possibilities and realized that each was connected with a different risk. Letting the idiots stay could have meant starvation. Not a very pleasant scenario… Then again, if I broke my deal and ordered them to leave, I'm sure that they wouldn't just move. Oh no, they would have fought back- even for such a dry piece of land as the Pridelands presently were… And even though I wouldn't have second thoughts about breaking the promise I gave them for their _assistance_ in my plan to take the throne since they were cheeky enough to lie on me, I definitely wouldn't want to take part in an open war… War just wasn't my thing.

Sarabi could see that my mind wasn't made up, and naturally, continued to encourage me. But I would not let myself be manipulated even by her and her questions were starting to irritate me. She asked if I was the king of this land. The answer was obvious, but what she really meant was to know if I at all _cared_ for my kingdom and the lions in my pride. I couldn't see why she was so concerned with it suddenly. She always consented with being left to care about the pride herself, and now suddenly it seemed to me that my sister-in-law was somehow trying to… _test_ me? For what? I couldn't recognize the strange shine in her eye when she said- _show me what you can do… _Did she want me to prove something to her? And what would I get for it if I agreed? I wasn't quite sure, but still I wanted to find out. I became _interested_.

_What if I do show you what I'm capeable of?_ – I asked. My question made her smile, an emotion she did not show to me for so long I couldn't remember. When she said - _then I might just change my mind about you_ – I considered that a sufficient answer. I _liked_ what it meant. The sacrifice she was about to make for the sake of her pride was worthy of my appreciation. All in all, she'd get what she desired, and me, as well… Everybody would be satisfied. I said my goodbye with a smile and promised to think about it, asking her to await my answer.

What was she trying to obtain? Did she think that without the help of my minions I would be more vulnerable to do the females' will? No, she wasn't foolish to think such a thing. She only wanted to see me differently, as I have been years ago, when we were younger. Not Scar the king. Not Scar the _despot_, as I was sometimes referred to by some of the bolder lionesses. Oh, what a nice picture she painted for herself in her mind- a Pridelands without hyenas, with a king by her side a little bit more like the old one… But she knew that was an illusion. I would _never_ become like my brother. She knew all she could hope for was this small amount of _care_ I could show to my subordinates. And even though the hyenas would be gone, she'd still have to pay a high price to save her pride from starvation- the price of becoming my queen, the mate of someone she hated.

And she would do it. Now she had no other choice but to sacrifice herself. And for this, just like for nothing more, I would agree. Because I needed a queen. And I wanted _her _to be my queen. More than I wanted the protection of the hyenas. As well as I knew Sarabi, I was sure about one thing- she might not love me like she loved my brother, but she would never become a traitor. At this point, the hyenas were far more likely to start a mutiny than the lionesses.

And besides, I already became sick of those stinking parasites anyway. All I needed now was to be sure that the upcoming changes would leave me safe and unharmed…

That was why I called for Sarabi. I can't express how astonished she was when I said that I decided to go on vacation… I explained that I would be away from the Pridelands for a few days, and that during that time she and her females would be permitted to do whatever they wanted. And, also, that I expect the hyenas to be gone _for good_ when I'm back.

I suppose she was shocked to experience my… _self-serving attitude_, so to say, but then again, she felt content. True, the pride would not have my support, but when night would fall and the hyenas would be asleep and unprepared, my girls might not even need it. To this we agreed and next day, after announcing my will to Shenzi and her troops, I swiftly left, temporarily putting Sarabi in charge of Pride Rock.


	2. Vacation

**AN: So where do you think he went to? Dubai? Majorca? Or maybe Vegas? XD**

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Part II - Vacation

Happily wondering about what was going on back home, I abandoned my scorched land and headed towards a place untouched by the drought. A place I had traveled to as a young lion, remembering it as a great spot for a few days' rest.

Namely, the jungle.

I really enjoyed the luxuries of this plentiful paradise. Finally, after so many days, I ate to my heart's content, even though I had to catch prey myself as it ran to the tree tops in shock to see such an unusually large predator attacking it… But since there weren't any more meat-eating animals as big as me anywhere around, I took my time and effort to travel around the dense forests, tasting the delicacies they had to offer.

Until I felt the scent of another lion.

The smell could not be confused with anything else. It was clear that there was another male around, somewhere… Engaging him was the last thing I wanted to do, but since I was already in his territory and he was nowhere to be found, I considered it would be okay to at least have lunch here, and then leave.

Thinking so, I hid myself among the reeds of a waterhole. Luckily enough, soon there came a lone warthog, attracting my attention with it's intense smell to it's own misfortune…

I pounced and charged at my victim with haste, making it almost choke with the water as he saw me. I can't even imagine how shocked he was- he started to run blindly straight into the dense forest as if hell itself were on his tail. But those short little legs of his did not provide him with much velocity, and soon I could almost feel his tender flesh in my mouth…

_Almost_. I _would have_ caught the warthog with ease, only if I didn't encounter one quite serious obstacle in my way. Namely, that other lion. I couldn't see him until he jumped on me from behind some old tree trunk. Right, I thought- this is your hunting terrain and now that you've heard the warthog's desperate cries you're going to want to fight me over who gets to eat him. I gazed at my foe with a warning growl to show him that king Scar still has enough inside him to strike a few sparks… and then I became sort of startled. I don't know if it was because of the weak light in this jungle or perhaps because of something I ate… but for some reason I thought that the strange lion was…

_My brother_.

I had dreamed about him executing his vengeance upon me, and when the vision seemed to become flesh right in front of my eyes, I hesitated. My enemy had the same reddish mane, same eyes, same angry expression I still remembered so well from the many fights I had with my overly edgy older sibling… But he was younger. That I could tell when I felt him knocking me to the ground and growling straight into my face… For a second there, I wondered what was he going to do. But when he calmed down enough to recognize who he was facing, he spoke the words that were both a relief and a new cause of inexpressible anger for my poor old heart.

_Uncle Scar_? – he gasped with a voice I found strangely familiar… And then I knew it all. The scent I had felt earlier was exactly the same one I would feel when my little irritating nephew would attempt to ambush me in my den years ago. Shame I recognized it so late…

Yes, that redhead lion was Simba. Good thing was that after he recognized me he ceased his attempt to kill me. Bad thing was that he_ lived_… That meant that the hyenas have failed the mission I had given them, not telling me that it was so, proving yet again what idiots they really were. Fortunately, I thought that by now they'd have been punished for that…

My poor nephew. He was now an adult, but still as slow in thinking as he used to be as a cub. He let me stand up and just gazed at me, totally stupefied, not sure what to say… Surprisingly, even the warthog I was trying to catch stood aside with some quite bold and quite loud meercat, seemingly awaiting an explanation. The audacity!

So this was a moment when I had to think really swiftly to construct a version of why I was there. First of all, I played the role of a concerned relative, extremely happy to see his nephew alive and in good health after years of separation. Simba bought that easily, he always believed everything I told him no matter how ridiculous the lie was. But then he asked me why was I looking for him… Truly, it looked like I actually did. So now I had to play the part of a caring monarch, quickly explaining how our beautiful kingdom got invaded by a horde of hyenas and how I, being the one responsible for the pride, decided to go on a lonely trip in order to find help…

It was a quickly made-up plan and I wondered if it would even work, but Simba positively surprised me with his naive belief and the same chance he'd provided me as a cub- the chance to manipulate him. He looked awfully concerned about the fact that Pride Rock was being attacked by hyenas. I could see him fighting an inner fight. The decision he had to make needed opening old wounds- the very wounds_ I_ myself had caused, making my nephew believe that he was indeed guilty of his father's death. I didn't, of course, want to change that conviction, yet still desiring to toy a bit with the boy's mind yet again. This is why I encouraged him to come with me back to the Pridelands. This way his good will of wanting to help his pride would compensate for his former guilt, at least to some extent…

As I had predicted, my words gave the directly opposite effect. It was splendid! Tricking him now was just as easy and just as pleasurable as when he was still a little yellow hairball. Now Simba was sure that he didn't want to return home, especially that he was also encouraged to stay by the warthog and the meercat, who surprisingly occurred to be his _friends_, as pathetic as it sounds…

I have to tell you one thing about my nephew. Some call me self-centered, but if you wanted to meet someone who really thinks solely about himself, that would definitely have to be Simba! He didn't care if the pride gets wiped out by hyenas, as long as he didn't have to face his past and could stay in the jungle, in his place of refuge, along with his friends who drugged him with their _hakuna matata_ nonsense. As far as I was concerned, he could do just that! This way I wouldn't have to deal with the trouble of explaining to the lionesses why I should still be the king, despite the return of Mufasa's heir. This would save me from the need to kill him… Because Simba no longer wanted to be the king. Not only because of the guilt he felt- also because of the burden of having to justify his so long an absence despite being alive. How his mother would react. How the lionesses would react. Oh no, he preferred the jungle way over that. Here he could be careless and free to forget all about everything that happened and everyone he knew. Can't say I blamed him for that…

So, in the end, Simba apologized and told me that he couldn't come with me. Of course, I acted as if I was deeply saddened- telling him that, if so, I wouldn't even tell the pride I ever met him. That also meant that he would be banished from the Pridelands forever. With a heavy heart, to my delight, he agreed. When we said our goodbye, I told him something that I suppose was probably the first fully true and sincere thing I ever said to him- that I'm happy that he at least stayed faithful to what I had advised him to do- to _run away and never come back_…

Oh you know I just had to say that. Simba's weak mind just begs to be confirmed in it's weakness, hehe…

I left the jungle feeling hungry, yet satisfied. It was a real shame that Simba was alive, but then again- I hoped that after our little talk he wouldn't stand a problem anymore. I was the more happy to see the Pridelands again. No sign of hyenas anywhere around Pride Rock! Now that was a nice change… It was only sad to look at the poor state of the lionesses. One could see that they were freshly after a big battle, injured and tired… Good thing I managed to catch a snack on my way because I was sure that they wouldn't be up for hunting at least for a day or two.

Inside the cave I found Sarabi. It was a real shame to see how her wounds disfigured her body… But then again, the wounds would soon heal and her charm would remain. I was proud of her and didn't restrain from expressing it immediately. I don't know if the females killed all of the hyenas or just chased them away. The fact was that they were gone. The mission was accomplished. Saying that, I came close and embraced the victorious lioness… She still gave me an insecure look and I sensed that she bore a grievance against me for abandoning them in battle… What could I say? Fortunately, I did have a good explanation- even though I doubt that she believed me, I said that I spent that time looking for someone who would aid us in our struggle, only that my search had failed. But in the end, we have won- the hyenas were history and it was a merit that belonged both to me and to the rest of the pride. Now came the time for that merit to be rewarded. Sarabi knew that, and she was ready both to reward me and to be rewarded herself by the same single act.

Now came the time when king Scar would rule along with her as his queen.


	3. Peace?

**AN: Now this short retirement has changed quite a bit. So what's gonna happen now, after Scar's return? Have all the problems been solved already or not?**

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Part III – Peace?

Everything was starting to get back to normal. The lionesses were a bit shocked when Sarabi and I announced our engagement, but I couldn't care less. They should have known that, sooner or later, this would happen. That the queen would put the good of the kingdom above her own, and that I would also finally obtain the only royal attribute I was still missing… Now I had everything my brother used to own. And oh, guess what- a few days later, it started to rain again! We didn't have to wait long to see the plants grow and the herds return. This way, both the drought and our famine ended. I was in the best of moods, and I suppose that even the lionesses felt a lot more calm after the recent changes…

There was only one thing I was stilll concerned about. One of the younger females had become so mutinous that even the rain did not cheer her up. It was Nala, Simba's former fiancée. She considered both my decision to leave the hyena problem for the lionesses to deal with along with my marriage with Sarabi to be utterly disgusting. How rude of her! Not only did she challenge my authority as king, she also insulted my mate, her present queen! Of course my reaction couldn't have been different. I exiled her at once, even despite Sarabi's strong opposition. Her I could stand. Nala questioning my decisions was far too much.

Once again I had to face a wave of complaints. For a few days the other females were unbearable with their constant yapping… But I got used to that during the time with the hyenas. After a few days, they just silenced down and obediently got back to catching food. I couldn't be more satisfied.

Everything was finally as I had wanted when I still imagined how it would be to be the king. No Mufasa. No Simba. No slobbering hyenas. All the lionesses doing their job in our abundant land of plenty. Even Sarabi got used to the fact of being my mate. She often hid her emotions, yet I could see through her. She let go of her resistance. She hated me no longer. This way she gave me peace of mind, and when the king was calm, so were the subjects. Everyone was happy.

At least for some time…

I don't know what it is with this kingdom, but things just can't stay good for long over here. It wasn't like that during my brother's reign. Oh well, life's just not fair, I guess…

I was surprised to see Nala return. But I was totally crestfallen when I saw _who_ she came back with… Yes, obviously, those two really were inseparable, just as others had said about them when they were cubs… Out of all the places in Africa, she just had to go to the jungle… And out of all the lions, she just had to find _Simba_! And to think that I hoped never to see him again… Oh well…

The lionesses were, of course, out of their minds with joy. Sarabi couldn't believe her son to be alive, just as everyone else… That cheeky Nala at once demanded me to hand over the throne to her redheaded mate, and, the nerve! He also looked as if he really wanted me to do that! Even worse, as I looked around I saw that the whole pride would have been more than happy if Simba replaced me as king… This was probably the only occasion when I missed not having the hyenas by my side…

Over my dead body would I let that happen. But I didn't want to start a fight with Simba _just yet_. We still had a few things to talk over, and in this matter I was lucky to have the advantage. First of all, I became totally outraged about his presence- enough for all the females to see. Naturally, they didn't have a clue about what was going on, and I didn't keep them waiting before I gave my explanation. I asked Sarabi if she knew where I'd been and what I'd been doing during my so-called _vacation_. Being a person totally unable to lie, she confessed that I had told her I went to the jungle to find help. She said _precisely_ what she was supposed to- her words made Simba lose some of his security and almost brought a smile to my face. But I needed to act firmly. Now it was my nephew's turn to make his confession- I asked the pride if they knew who I met and who I asked to help us in the fight against the hyenas. I just can't describe how miserable it made Simba look! Of course, he had to admit it was him. And also, he had to say that he denied my proposition.

The lionesses looked very, very disappointed. Simba was feeling the ground slip from under his feet, and now even Nala gazed at him with a bit of resentment. It was perfect! I accused him of not being worthy to take the throne since he'd already turned his back upon his pride twice. Now all I needed was to deliver the devastating blow. This is why I demanded him to say _why_ did he run away from the Pridelands in the first place. I managed to strike him fatally without even having to blunt my claws! He looked so embarrassed that I thought he was going to run away… But no. He did exactly what he had to do. In front of the whole pride, in front of his mate and his mother, he confessed of being responsible for Mufasa's death.

I might have overreacted calling him a murderer afterwards, but it did the job. He no longer felt worthy to take the throne, and not even Nala could change his mind. If in that same moment my brother's ghost appeared and announced the truth to everyone, it might have been differently, but there was no ghost there. The truth was always in the eye of the beholder, and in this situation, I was the only beholder. Therefore, the truth belonged to me. I shouted out that a killer of kings is unworthy to become the king himself, and that his very presence at Pride Rock was a disgrace. Poor Simba, I believe he was close to crying… In the end, I didn't have to kill him. He was already dead inside. Looking at everyone, he begged them to forgive him. I wasn't sure if the pride wanted to do that or not, but I preferred not to take the risk. I approached Sarabi and surrounded her with a paw. And then I said something like- _Simba, how could you do this to your mother? There there, my queen… everything's going to be fine…_

The look on his face was indescribable. Nala had convinced Simba to come back to Pride Rock probably expressing to him how bad things were under my reign, but unfortunately it seemed that she saved him the burden of revealing just how _bad_ the situation was… Pity for them. Lucky for me. My nephew sent his mother a look of deep sorrow and then, not able to bear all of the pressure, he started to run away. Is it really that bad to know that your widowed mother married your uncle? I can't tell…

There were some who attempted to follow him. Especially Nala, who was the only one who did not return… I wonder if she found her mate at all? I just hope that this was really the last time I saw them. With Mufasa's heir gone again, the lionesses naturally had to accept me keeping my position as king. I quickly banned speaking of the matter and soon everything came back to normal, just like the situation never happened. Finally, peace came back to the kingdom. And about time. I was slowly starting to lose my patience.

Sarabi became extremely depressed about losing her son again. She spent a few days looking all around for him, and I was pretty concerned if she wasn't losing her mind, but in the end, she came back to be her old self. I thought it would be good if I found some way in which I could cheer her up, and, I have to hand it to myself, I think I actually did. My queen is no longer depressed with losing her son mostly because she is awaiting her new cub to be born…

I mean, our cub, obviously.

Don't look so shocked. Every king needs a successor, even I won't live forever. I suppose surrounding yourself with cubs is far better than doing the same with idiotic hyenas… Besides, Sarabi's happy to become a mother again. She's even starting to think of a name. I just hope that it's going to be a male… Of course I firmly announced that calling my son _Mufasa the Second _is right out! Hm, I wonder if that old shaman Rafiki is still alive… We're going to have to summon him for the presentation ceremony.

Wait, but why am I telling this to you, anyway? I am Scar, the introverted evil lion, devoid of morality, not even speaking parental instincts… Can having a child of your own really change you that much? Nah, I don't think so…

I _still _don't regret killing Mufasa!

Well…

Okay, maybe a little bit…

THE END

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**AN: You see! All it took was a few days of vacation and we have a happy conclusion! Well, at least for Scar fans, anyway XD.**


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